Hair brushing and massaging implement



g- 19, 1952 E. SULLIVAN ETAL 5 1 HAIR BRUSHING AND MASSAGNG IMPLEMENTFiled Sept. 17, 1948 wnc/"kom- Erf. LIJYAN 13.3. JNYDER Patentec Aug. 19, 95

v mme -rsullivanand Austin .B. SnydeujTedo, r

Qhio, assignors, by mesne assigmne'ts, to

Dwens'Brush Company, Toledo, Ohio, a cor'p'oj y -Ap'flication September17,1948,seriaNoiwgeye -;Our .inventief relates to implements adapted.and designed forrise 'n hair brushing,-shampooing, and massaging.Ainbject:oftheinvention nis `to provide an ::improved ccombinationshamp'oo :brush: scalp :stimulator hair :brush and -eomb, designed. endadapted `for eflieient care a'nd :treatmentof the hairand sca'lp. Theinvention :providesan im lementot the character indicated :consisting of'-a, plasti fiexble, resilient material 'including aexile back or'handlewith integral bristles 'or set'a'e (to which the shop .termtendrils is hereineppled) `di' the same material 'and molded integrallywith 'the back.

We have 'discovered that-such an imp'lement consisting of polyethylene(polytheney'of 'sditable design as hereinaftersetforth is p'articlarlyadapted- 'for the purposes "of our invntin, possessing valuableproperties adaptingitto the specified'uses'; r w w A further obj'et oftheinvntion=-is te -provide 'a ovel 'form and "designof fixiie; reilient-bristls or tendrils'which when molded ntegrafly with the -flexiblebaking; opefate- -ii h novel man'er and pbssessdesirable featuresdaptingr them for use in hair brushng,shampooing, mas sagingg and-the liker r;2 Among the-ohjects attained is the provi sion of .ai hairibrushin'gand -massag ing imjlement hair'- ing ctendrils which-provide improvedenetrat ion throughthe hair t the' 'salp-'and which provide an:improved'massage actiomwhichare' free from dragging on the hair, which''a're freefrom any tendency'to .irritate :or scratch the se'alp; whichare effective :in looseningsdandrufi, :which operate to give thehair'anamiual sheemwhich-keep the scalp in good condition, which :mase maketherhairsoftr .and..fiuflier. The ivention providesan :article which is:easily cleaned. and kept clean and .provides ahah brushi'ngand massaging implement which,'-'as compared with :conven tionai hair brushes amimassagin'g limplements, ha sfifimuhls tendencyto pun theshairvoutzorbreakitom v i v A further object of ,the invention 'is to provide a'prush which clears the' nail-"of snarls 'and tangles without pulling.,The invention further provides an implement well-adapted for 'eitherdry or wet massaging, which S easy to usefor either ;dry opwet hairhrrshing -and ;Which is glitable and weH adaptd for shampooing; ,Afurther `.object is, to provide an ,implement 'coh'si'stirg 'of amaterial :having ohemical'- 'and bhys'ialj properties which ;contributeto :the iinitihd ifbl 'features of the invention. Whi fod thatpoyethy'lene when molded to the specified for hi;hasthese;desirablepropnment 'adapted 'for hairzbrishin'g, ..shampoong,

massaging andth'e like.: e

Fig. 2 vis-'a 'sideelevationxif thesame with` some Fig 3 is a:fragmentet y part .seotional View showing :oneof the ibristles'`"tir-itendril's' integral "with the back of the'impl'ement. .e

'Fi'gt 4 is a top plan View o f an implement .particularly designedroruseasa hair brush. i

Fg. is t-side levation `(if-the same with some i ef sectiohal 'elevatn-f 'the impem ent howi Figs. `1 and `2. in r' igs. "1, 2, nd heve n'strated o'r'eform 'of the invention which' i is'- particularly designedto serve as a combiiations'hampoo brush,;s`ca1p stimuiator, hair mesh;and'tomb. brush consists 'of 'a flexble resilient, -rubber-1ike maserialand -pre`ferab`1y consists of -poyethyl'ene plastic-moldedina singiepiece. It comprises a ''ircilar 'body-10, jthe'uppr-'sur'fae 'of whichis preferably conve -anti ffray e -forhed with 'a series of cnoentrief'arrii il-ar' ;ribs oi' `bossfies i '1-1 At i the "center :of the bdy'lfl-i'fan upwardly' ektehded 'member *comprising a 'k'riob l 2integraliy united to the .bodyv by a neck portion 13' and shoulder '4.1'Theknobmay'serve as a handle and "also assist the :operatorholding-the im= 'element while esegthehoqy ;ro being' grasped 'by the"hand, .with 'the ngers' hearing on o posite sides'of'the'fi'eckfl; j

The body" m isi prerefahl off 'approximate'ly unirormthiknessthroighouti exceptdire'ctly Ibe- I v ru f said .bdyhihg. ofiav, .threby.gv ngljfiiblty to said* body so 'thatitreadfl forifo'rh's n to thecontour ofthescalp or surface whch isbing r te I g.

Thehrush fermd -with'a ruitiplicy of bristles in the form of slender,finger-lke members or tendrils !6 formed integral with the body !O anddepending vertically from its under surface !1 (Fig. 3). These tendrilsare made of a special conformation, each tendril comprising a pluralityof graduated sections or lengths of different diameters, progressivelysmaller from the body downward. As shown in Fig. 3, the tendrilcomprises an upper substantially cylindrical section !8 and a lowersection or tip !9 of smaller diameter. The upper section !8 isintegrally united to the body !0 by a rounded or upward-ly flaredshoulder portion 20. A tapered shoulder 2! is likewise provided at thejunction of the sections !8 and !9. The lower section !9 is formed witha rounded tip end 22.

The tendrils !6 are preierably arranged in concentric circles anduniformly spaced in the circles, the spacing of the said ringspreferably being substantially equal to the spacing of the tendrils ineach ring. The tendrils may be 'of equal or substantially equal lengthso that the tip ends 22 are arranged in an upwardly convex surface, orimaginary surface, indicated by the broken line !Za (Fig 9) parallelwith the under surface of the body !0.

Fig. 6 illustrates a somewhat modified form of tendril wherein the uppersection 24 is slightly tapered or downwardly convergent. The lowersection 25 is also shown as slightly tapered.

Fig. '7 illustrates a form of tendril which comprises three sections orlengths 25, 21, and 28 of difierent diameters stepped downward orprogressively smaller from the body !O downward. The tendril preferablyconsists of at least three sections of stepped diameters as shown inFig."1, and it will be understood that it may comprise a greater number,depending upon the flexibility and resiliency desired and suited to theparticular use for which the implement is designed. The length of theindividual sections 25, 21, and 28 of the tendrils, their diameters, thelength of each tendril as a whole, and the relative lengths of thedifferent sections of the tendrils are all factors which play a partdetermining the resiliency, fiexibility, stiifness, penetrating ability,and smoothness of action;

For brushing or shampooing of the hair and for effective massage andstimulation of the scalp, the brushing tendrils should be of sulcientstiffness to penetrate through the hair while the lower end portions ormassage tips of the tendrils have sufiicient smoothness and exibility topractically eliminate scalp and skin irritation. The flexible tips 28with their rounded ends 22 are particularly designed to minimize oreliminate scratching or injury to the scalp. The upper sections of thetendrils being of larger diameter, give suiiicent stiffness andresiliency to insure effective penetraticn of the hair,-and also toinsure their return to normal vertical position following each stroke ofthe brush through the hair.

Fig. 8 illustrates a tendril similar to that shown in Fig. 3 but with.the tendril deflected or bent to one side by the resistance which itmeets during the brushing or massaging stroke. The upper section !8 isdeflected through a, comparatively slight angle, the bending takingplace at the shoulder 20 while the body of the section !8 remainsapproximately or substantially straight. The lower section or tip !9 isflexed at the shoulder 2! through a comparatvely large angle. The heavysloping shoulder 20 at the base of the section !8 and the correspondingsloping shoulder 2! at the junction of the sections !8 and !9, serveeifectively as wear resistance against the repeated flexing of thetendril and also contribute to tendril stiifness and springinese. Thelower end section or tip is designed to provide the massagingfiexibility desired, while the other sections between the tip and thebase serve to support the massaging tip and impart the desiredstififness or springiness to the tendril as a whole. It will be seenthat the type of tendril Construction above described permits varyingdegrees of hair brush stlffness or springiness without a correspondingand objectionable increase in the stifiness or harshness of the tip end,such as would normally occur in the use of a tendril or bristleofuniform diameter, or one of a graduating taper design.

Because of the smooth, rounded ends of the tendrils, the fiexibilityconcentrated in the massaging tips, and the reduction of the drag orpull on the hair owing to such Construction, the article is highlyefficient when used as a scalp massage brush. The scalp is gently andproperly stimulated without objectionable scalp or skin irritations,such as are usually noticeable after the use of ordinary stiff bristledbrushes. In this connection, it should be observed that the polyethylenehas a low co-eiiicient of friction which materially aids in the smoothand eficient operation. v In this respect' the material diifers greatlyfrom softlrubber and is free from the pulling action on the hair whichcharacterizes a rubber brush. When the implement is used for brushinglong hair, the design of the tendrils with their flexible tips providesan untangling and smoothing action -on tl 1e air without the pullingaction which takes place with an ordinary brush. i H

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate an implement which is particularly designed foruseas a hair brush.

It comprises a body 30 extended to form a handle 3l. Bristles ortendrils !6 are formed integrally with said body and may be of any ofthe conformations already described in connection with theimplementshown in Figs. 1 and 2. The body 30, as shown, is formed with a recessorconcavity 32. The tendrils !6 are arranged in straight rows withsubstantially uniform spacing throughout. This form ,of implement isdesigned primarily foruse. as 'a' hair brush or combinedbrush and ccmb.*It can also be' used 'eifectively as a -massaging implement, havingdesirable characteristics for this purpose. as above pointed out inconnection with the circular form of implement.

Modifications other than those herein illustrated and describedmay beresorted to within the spirit and scope of our invention. i

We claim: i

1. A brushing and massaging implement com-'- prising a polyethylene'body and', integrally formed therewith, a plurality of polyethylenebristle members depending at closely spaced intervals, each of saidbristle members having a slender fiexible terminal end portion ofsubstantial length terminating with a rounded end for Contacting thescalp or thezlikeskin region of the user and an'integrally formedenlarged inner portion having. a substantially un'iform crosssection. r

2. A brushing and massaging 'implement comprisinga plurality ofpolyethylene bristlemembers andan integral polyethylene body mountngsaid bristle members on a face thereof and hacking the same againstaxial movement, each of said polyethylene bristle members having arelatively flexible slender substantially uniformly 5 u cross-sectionalelongated terminal end portion terminating with a. rounded end forcontacting the region massaged and a relatively inflexible enlargedsubstantially uniformly cross-sectioned inner portion integrally mergedwith the rela- 5 tively fiexible terminal end portion at a taperedshoulder at the root of the end portion.

3. A brush and massaging implement comprising a polyethyene body and amultiplicity of polyethylene bristle members integral with and dependingfrom said body, each of said bristle members being united to said bodyby an upwardly flared tapered shoulder portion and comprising aplurality of coaxial cylindrcal lengths or sections of different andconstant diameters successively smaller in a downward direction, thediameter of each successive section being not less than approximatelyone-half that of the preceding section, the length of each section beingseveral times its diameter, the terminal end section of each beingrelatively fiexible and terminating with a rounded end.

EMMET J. SULLIVAN. AUSTIN B. SNYDER REFERENCES CITED A The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENT OTHER REFERENCES Modern Plastics, issue of February1948, pages 73-75. i

Plastics. issue of September 1944, page 43.

